British foreign minister Yvette Cooper says some 40 countries who joined a virtual meeting on the Strait of Hormuz crisis demand “the immediate and unconditional reopening” of the vital shipping route, reports AFP.

“Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage in the Strait of Hormuz. They must not prevail. To that effect, partners today called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation and the law of the sea,” Cooper said in a statement after the talks.